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Shots fired at Houston airport; 1 injured

HOUSTON (AP) — Shots were fired near a ticket counter at Houston's largest airport on Thursday, critically injuring at least one armed man and sending people in the terminal scrambling and screaming, a Houston police spokesman and witnesses said.

A call that there had been a "discharge of firearms" came into police at 1:35 p.m., John Cannon, the spokesman said. The shots were fired near the ticket counter in Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport, he said. One person has been taken to an area hospital with life threatening injuries.

Dale Howard, of Tomball, was at the baggage handling area of the airport waiting for his sister to arrive on an incoming flight when he heard two shots fired from the floor above. A few seconds later, he said he heard three more shots.

"People were screaming. I knew exactly what it was — gunfire," Howard said.

Police from an adjacent station rushed in, and Howard said he directed them to the floor above.

Parts of the terminal remained blocked off as police investigated the shooting. The airport announced on its Twitter feed that the terminal had been closed and passengers would be redirected to other terminals.

Greg Newburn, who was in the terminal waiting for a flight to Oklahoma City, said he was sitting in a cafe area when he heard two gunshots and after a pause, several more.

"It seemed like quite a few shots. Everyone was scrambling, running left and running right, turning tables up and hiding behind tables. Nobody knew what was happening. I couldn't tell where the shots were coming from," he said.

Newburn, from Gainesville, Fla., said it took him a few seconds to realize that the shots had come from the terminal ticketing area, near the security checkpoint. Newburn said he didn't see who had fired the shots.

A man reportedly shot and killed himself today at a security checkpoint in Terminal B of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Here's what we know about this breaking story. Stay tuned for updates.

1. The Man Had an AR-15
The shooter reportedly wielded an AR-15 "assault rifle" and a handgun. He was near a ticket counter before entering security screening when he fired multiple shots into the air with the rifle.

2. There Was a Self-Inflicted Wound The man reportedly shot himself with the pistol, not the rifle, after an air marshal reportedly fired at the shooter but missed. Multiple outlets have reported the shooter is dead, however, this is the official statement from Houston cops on their Facebook page:

About 1:35 p.m. today, a report of shots fired at Bush Intercontinental Airport was received by HPD at Terminal B. A lone armed male has suffered at least one gunshot wound and has been transported to an area hospital with life threatening injuries. There are no other reports of injuries nor other persons involved. Further information will be posted as it is confirmed.

3. A Man Tweeted from the Scene That He Heard "Like 20" Shots
Greg Newburn, whose tweets appear below, also took the above video.

4. The NRA Convention Starts Tomorrow in Houston

5. A Reality Star Saw the Whole Thing
Star of MTV's hit reality show Laguna Beach, Stephen Colletti, tweets that he witnessed the whole incident. His last tweet indicates he was hiding in the kitchen of a McDonalds:

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man who had fired a gun inside a ticketing area at Houston's largest airport was killed after being confronted by a law enforcement official during an incident that sent people in the terminal scrambling and screaming, police said Thursday.

It's unclear if the man, identified by the FBI as 29-year-old Carnell Moore of Beaumont, fatally shot himself or was killed by a Homeland Security agent who had confronted him.

According to authorities, Moore left behind a suicide note, in which he said he didn't want to hurt anyone, but that, "The monster within is getting stronger."

It was around 1:35pm Thursday that Houston police say they were called to a "discharge of firearm" at Terminal B.

Police say Moore walked into the ticketing area in Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport and fired at least one shot into the air. The agent, who was in his office, came out and confronted Moore, telling him to drop his weapon, but he refused, police said.

"The suspect then turned toward the special agent. The special agent, fearing for his safety and all the passengers in the terminal, discharged his weapon at the same time it appears the suspect may have shot himself," Houston police spokesman Kese Smith said.

Moore died at the scene. An autopsy will be conducted Friday. The Department of Homeland Security said the agent was not injured in the shooting, but he was transported to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

Police say they recovered Moore's handgun from the scene and found a rifle inside a truck believed to belong to him. They also say they found a suicide note that says he is taking his life because "the monster within is getting stronger."

Authorities say Moore was staying at a hotel in Houston. Meanwhile, FBI officials are at Moore's home in Beaumont, gathering any evidence there.

Moore was quite vocal about his intentions, even posting some eerie messages on Facebook. On Wednesday, Moore wrote, "I recently had the chance of staring death in the face, and she was beautiful."

A few hours later, Moore posted, "this life will crash tomorrow."

Terminal B was shut down for several hours during the investigation and passengers were being sent to other terminals, according to the Houston Airport System. It reopened around 5:30pm.

Witnesses tell ABC13 they heard a couple of gunshots ring out and a TSA agent told everyone to get down.

Dale Howard, of Tomball, was at the baggage handling area of the airport waiting for his sister to arrive on an incoming flight when he heard two shots fired from the floor above. A few seconds later, he said he heard three more shots.

"People were screaming. I knew exactly what it was -- gunfire," Howard said.

Police from an adjacent station rushed in, and Howard said he directed them to the floor above.

Greg Newburn, who was in the terminal waiting for a flight to Oklahoma City, said he was sitting in a cafe area when he heard two gunshots and after a pause, several more.

"It seemed like quite a few shots. Everyone was scrambling, running left and running right, turning tables up and hiding behind tables. Nobody knew what was happening. I couldn't tell where the shots were coming from," he said.

Newburn, from Gainesville, Fla., said it took him a few seconds to realize that the shots had come from the terminal ticketing area, near the security checkpoint. Newburn said he didn't see who had fired the shots.

Just last month, United Airlines unveiled the newly renovated Terminal B at IAH. The new 225,000 square foot South Concourse is four times larger than the previous facility and is used for United Express regional flights.